Suction-head for plate-feeding machines.



EXT. CAMPBELL. SUCTION HEAD FOR PLATE FEEDING MACHINES.

APPLICATION HLED MAR. 31, I917- Patented Sept. 10, 1918.

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EARL 'r. CAMPBELL, or GARY, INDIANA.

SUCTION-HEAD FOB PLATE-FEEDING MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept, 10, 191 8,

Application filed. March 31, 1917. Serial No. 159,013.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EARL T. CAMPBELL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Gary, county of Lake, and State of Indiana, have invented a certain new and useful Suction-Head for Plate-Feeding Machines; and I, do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which'like letters refer to like parts.

This invention relates to an improved suc tion head for pneumatic means for feeding sheets of metal and the like singly from a stack to any machine or device to whlch it is desired to feed them, reference being had to my Patent No. 1,216,778 issued Feb. 20, 1917 for a sheet feeding machine.

In preparing plates to be tinned they are treated with a bath and it is necessary to keep them entirely wet until they are fed into the tinning machine. When the plates are in this wet condition and stacked they adhere to each other and are difficult to separate. This improved suction head is especially constructed to separate the top sheet, and the top sheet only from the balance of the sheets whether stacked Wet or submerged in water. In using other suction heads my experience has been that occasionally the second or following sheet or sometimes two or three sheets would stick so tight together and to the top sheet that they would be slow about tearing loose which would throw the sheet out of place and necessitate the stopping of the machine so as to rearrange the plates. To overcome,

this difficulty I have invented a new im proved type of suction head which will be fully described in the following specification and drawings.

One of the features of my invention is the construction of a relatively long and narrow suction head operated by vacuum which will extend across nearly the entire width of the sheet in such a position that it will separate the end of the sheet or plate first so that there will be no tendency for it to adhere to the other plates upon its being lifted therefrom. This is due to the manner in which it takes hold of the plate and causes it to forcibly disengage the adjacent plate, independently of any lifting action.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying draw ings and the following description and claim.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a stack of plates showing the suction head engaging-and lifting the top plate therefrom. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal cross section through the suction head with one-half thereof broken away. Fig. 3 is the'same as Fig. 2 showing a plan view. Fig. 4 is a cross section taken through the suction head showing it in engaging position.

There is shown in the drawings a stack of plates to be fed into the feed rolls, for tinning which is carried on a table 26 and maintained so that the top plate will always be in position to be moved forwardly and separated from the next lower sheet. The means for accomplishing the foregoing consists of a suction head 20 adapted to engage and pick up the forward end of the top plate and transfer it to the desired point. This suction head is formed of a long and narrow body of cast iron or other suitable material 21 which is adapted to extend along the entire front portion of the plate to be fed, setting back from the forward edge about one inch as shown in Fig. 4. The length of the suction head varies as the width of the plates vary so that its ends should not be more than about two inches from the side edges of the plate for perfect and instant'action. The lower surface of the head is concave as shown in Fig. 4: so as to form a vacuum chamber between it and the plate to be fed. Cast integral or rigidly secured to the head '21 there is a central longitudinally extending rib 22 to engage the plate when it is sucked into the concave vacuum space and prevent its creasing or buckling too far. By using the rib 22 there is no danger of making a crease in the plate, and it prevents the plate from engaging the concave surface of the head, whereby the vacuum space is maintained. Surrounding the sides and end surfaces of the head 21 there is a steel band or flange 23 which is securely clenched thereon and which tapers outwardly to conform with the taper of the head as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The steel band or flange 23 is provided with a bead 2% which is adapted to embed itself in the rubber suction flange 25 which is securely held thereby between the'flaringportion of said band and head.

For. producmg a vacuum between the slic lion head and the top plate 119 there is a flexible suction tube 27 adapted to be con nected to the nipple 28 which screws into the head so as to con'nnunicate with the opening thereto 29. Secured to the top of the head there are two hinged members 30 which are pivotally mounted to the lower end of the suction frame 31 which carries the suction head and controls its operation.

The suction is created in the head in any suitable manner as by means of an ordinary bic \;'cle pump (not shown) which is connected to the flexible tube 26. Rigidly secured to the top of the suction head 21 as shown in Fig. 3 is a stop plate 6% so as to limit the return movement of the suction head and cause it to drop down on the top plate near its forward end as shown in Fig. 1.

'With the suction head construction above set forth applied to my plate feeding ma chine shown and described in my above mentioned patent a very rapid feeding ma chine can be made. This new suction head may also be readily substituted for the suction head shown and described in my former patent without changing the suction head frame or any part of the mechanism.

The invention claimed is:

In a sheet feeding machine, a suction head formed of one solid mass of material and having its lower edges flared outwardly the lower face of the flared portion being at right angles to the vertical trend of the head and adapted to engage the sheet to be fed, the upper face of the flared edge being inclined, a strip of elastic material resting upon the inclined face of the flared edge and projecting beyond the same, a metallic band extending around the sides and ends of the head and having flared lower edges adapted to extend over the elastic material resting upon the inclined face of the flared edges of the head and terminating substantially flush with the free edges of the flared portion, and a head on the flared portions of the baud, adapted to embed in and hold the elastic material in place.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

EARL T. CAMPBELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Eatents, Washington, D. G. 

